“Cool. Wow. Being interviewed by SPIN, full circle,” gushes filmmaker and former SPIN intern Chandler Levack while sitting in an empty office of Toronto’s Elevation Pictures. The Canadian company is distributing her new film, Mile End Kicks, which just had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Toronto-born Levack went from music […]
What happens in Quebec too often stays in Quebec. A case in point: Viviane Audet. Actress, singer-songwriter, musician, composer — she’d be a big fish in any-sized pond. But as Steve Martin once observed, “It’s like those French have a different word for everything.” The upshot: Her amazing projects have received decidedly limited coverage in […]
Often, people become acquainted with musical instruments in childhood through Christmas presents, music school, or lessons from friends. But it also happens differently, when the instrument itself finds its musician, sometimes after many years of searching. This emotional phenomenon was experienced by double bass player, arranger, and music teacher Valentyn Korniienko. The musician, who discovered […]
When B.B. King passed away in 2015 at the age of 89, he left behind a challenge. “Do what you can to keep the blues alive,” he often told those who crossed his path. Today, on what would have been King’s 100th birthday, a new collaborative album launches with the ambition to do exactly that. […]
Was there ever a time before Margaret Cho? For as long as I can remember, the ever-relevant, effortlessly funny comedian—who also counts actor, musician, and entrepreneur on her résumé—has been part of the zeitgeist. A five-time Grammy and Emmy nominee, Cho leaves an impression any time she appears. My personal favorite is Cho as Lynne, […]
Director Lee Kirk is hoping you’ll have the time of your life watching his new film, New Years Rev—we’ve seen it with an apostrophe, too, though we’re told it doesn’t have one—the Green Day collaboration which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) September 13. The title doesn’t convey that it’s […]
Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G will headline the 2026 edition of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, which descends on Empire Polo Field in Indio, Ca., from April 10-12 and 17-19. See the complete poster below. The always-eclectic lineup pulls from nearly every music genre and era imaginable, with Italian DJ Anyma […]
As expected, after the overwhelming response to their North American tour in tribute of R.E.M.’s Fables of the Reconstruction and a 2024 run tackling Murmur, Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy will reprise the festivities next year in honor of the 40th anniversary of Michael Stipe and company’s Life’s Rich Pageant. They’ll be joined by their trusty band of Jon […]
It’s 8:00 a.m. in Los Angeles and Mark Laita’s already been up for five hours. If you’re one of the over 6.6 million who subscribe to his YouTube channel, Soft White Underbelly, you’ve witnessed the heart-wrenching, disconcerting stories he’s captured in nearly 3,000 videos; up-close tales told by real people, many suffering from addiction and […]
I’d gone to a homeless camp in North Portland to bring a meal to a man named Paul. But there was a big conflict going on, because the city had posted a sign at the camp saying they had to leave by a certain time. And that certain time was then. Rapid Response Bio-Clean is […]